The road runs north-west from Marble Arch to Edgware on the outskirts of London. It crosses the
Harrow Road and
Marylebone Road, passing beneath the
Marylebone flyover. The road passes through the areas of
Maida Vale,
Kilburn and
Cricklewood. It then crosses the
North Circular Road before
West Hendon at
Staples Corner. After this, the road continues in the same direction, through the Hyde,
Colindale,
Burnt Oak, and then reaches Edgware. The southernmost part of the road forms part of the
London Inner Ring Road and, as such, is part of the boundary of the
London congestion charge zone. However, when the zone was extended in February 2007, the road became part of the "free through routes" which allows vehicles to cross the zone during its hours of operation without paying the charge. The southern part of the road between Marble Arch and Maida Vale, noted for its distinct
Middle Eastern cuisine and many late-night bars and
shisha cafes, is known to Londoners by nicknames such as
Little Cairo,
Little Beirut and, especially near
Camden,
Little Cyprus. As it passes through the various neighbourhoods, the road name changes several times, becoming Maida Vale, Kilburn High Road and Shoot-Up Hill (in Kilburn), and Cricklewood Broadway (in Cricklewood), before becoming Edgware Road once again with intermittent stretches as West Hendon Broadway, and
the Hyde. Along the entire route, it retains its identity as the
A5 road under the
Great Britain road numbering scheme. The A5 continues beyond the end of the Edgware Road, following the old Roman road for much of its route and terminating at
Holyhead, Wales (a port for
Ireland). ==History==